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Show Review Archives > 2009 > JANUARY
 

October 3-5, St. James Court Art Show, Louisville, KY

October 3-5, St. James Court Art Show, the original section, Louisville. Contact: Marguerite Esrock, St. James Court Art Show, PO Box 3804, Louisville, KY 40201; phone 502-635-1842, fax 502-635-1296. E-mail: mesrock@stjamescourtartshow.com. Web site: www.stjamescourtartshow.com. Application fee: $30 (through Zapplication). Space fee: $450-$530. Space size: 10x10 to 10x20. 100% outdoors. Exhibitors: 320 in this section (728 total). Attendance: 275,000 (police estimate).

By Julie Kelly
Minnesota Reporter
E-mail: julie@juliekellyglass.com
Medium: Mixed media glass-and-copper birdfeeders

Six mini-shows comprise the St. James Court Art Show. My review covers only the original St. James Court section, or "The Court," which had 320 of the 728 total artists. The Court is a fundraiser to preserve an area of wonderful, historic Victorian homes. All the streets are blocked to traffic, and the park and fountain make for a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere for shoppers. There is even valet parking available for customers.

Artist check-in and setup are well coordinated. Artists receive an arrival time and may drive through the check-in spot with their photo ID and proceed right to their spaces. At the close of the Show, exit passes are issued to get all exhibitors on their way as quickly as possible.

This show has lots of cheerful volunteers and many artist perks. Because the weather was absolutely perfect for all three days of the 52nd annual Show, people seemed to shop longer, and crowds were massive. It was even hard to walk the streets and the inner and outer court because of the crowds, which were estimated at 275,000, up from 2007 (which experienced hot weather) but slightly down from 2006. I'd recommend using a wide mailing list, as people even fly in to enjoy the wonderful St. James experience.

I asked fellow artists if they were able to make 10 times their booth fee. I also asked them to compare this time to their last St. James and to their other shows in 2008. I asked how their show season was going and their thoughts on the economy, too. Lastly, I asked how they liked their booth locations, as some think the inner-court booths get less traffic. The answers were surprising.

"Sales are surprisingly good with the economy," a wood artist reported. "I'm even above my average for this show." The artist made 12 times the booth fee on average sales of $750 and a high sale (from multiple items) of $1,500.

A photographer ($450 average sale/$750 high) was not as happy. "My Show is significantly down, and my whole year is down," the exhibitor said. "The economy is the obvious reason." The artist is reevaluating his show schedule: "When times are really tough, you need to decide if you want to drive a long way if expenses are high."
A paper artist ($25 average sale/$70 high) said, "I love this city. Even with the slow economy, the crowds are very good. The management is very efficient, the section captains are very friendly, and sales are good."

A porcelain artist (10 times the booth fee/$1,500 high sale) reported, "My Show was OK. I do a mailing list, and I swear by it!" In contrast, a clay artist ($45 average sale/$175 high) did not make 10 times the booth fee and blamed lower sales on the economy. "People are really cautious," the exhibitor said.

An inner-court jeweler ($400 average sale/$3,000 high) made 12 times the booth fee and said, "I have had a great Show and exceeded my expectations given the economic conditions! I like the Show location and would like this spot again so people can find me again." Another jeweler ($100 average sale/$150 high) didn't make 10 times the booth fee and was a little down in a year that was somewhat down overall. The artist thought booth fees were getting too high.

An inner-court glass artist liked his location, and when I spoke to him, he was doing better than in 2007 and was close to 10 times the booth fee. "People here are really friendly, and this is a beautiful layout," he said. With an average sale of only $45 and a $50 high, the artist said his high-end sales were really down. Another glass artist ($200 average sale/$375 high) reported, "I like this town; this was one of my best shows [in 2007]. My sales here on the outer court are a little down from what they were on the inner court, but my whole year has been down."
An outer-court sculptor declared, "This is an eclectic crowd! I was surprised by my sales! But I can't tell you I will have this amount of sales [in 2009] due to the economy."

A metal artist (10 times the booth fee/$75 average sale/$400 high) said, "I am up from [2007]. My whole year [2008] has been a little up. I get repeat customers at this show, and custom orders. I love my outer-court location because of the yard behind me." A second metal artist ($240 average sale/ $275 high) blamed the negative media reports about the economy for lower sales than in 2007.

A 3-D mixed media artist ($40 average sale/$250 high) liked the inner-court location he's had for four years because he has extra room. "I had more big-ticket sales [in 2007], but I've sold the same amount overall," he said. "This show had good crowds and knowledgeable customers." A 3-D mixed media artist (10 times the booth fee/$100 average sale/$558 high) on the outer court sent a mailer and liked that the customers wanted to have conversations about her art. A third 3-D mixed media artist (14 times the booth fee/$130 average sale/$500 high) was very pleased with sales. This artist thought that sending postcards and e-mails had really helped repeat customers locate her.

A fiber artist (13 times the booth fee/$120 average sale/$325 high) was pleased with sales in general at shows in 2008 and reported, "We always get more sales after this show, and this show is actually up from last [time]." Another fiber artist ($120 average sale/$200 high) said her whole year was definitely down and her sales were actually better at St. James in 2007, when she was in the inner court. But the artist liked the Show, saying, "This is a pretty show, and the section captains and the people who run it are really nice."

A 2-D artist praised the quality of the Show, saying, "I'm happy to be among such incredible art! The bulk of my sales were low-end, and my whole year has been slow, but I'd like to come again." A second 2-D artist ($48 average sale/$88 high) reported a slower Show than in the past with no high-end originals, but this has been the pattern for this artist's whole year. A third 2-D artist (20 times the booth fee/$700 average sale) had a great Friday with sales to repeat customers. The artist thought customers were happy to forget their economic worries while at the Show and to enjoy being with family and friends.

Marguerite Esrock, the director of the original Court Show, also helps coordinate the six shows comprising the St. James Court Art Show consortium. The show directors and presidents of each neighborhood meet 11 times a year. Because of this cooperation, all six mini-shows blend seamlessly into one. Esrock was pleased with how well the setup and takedown went. "The Court Show is planning some changes for the 2009 Show, but we will not increase booth or jury fees," she said. "We are trying to move the artists' breakfast to a more central location. We are revamping the wine-and-cheese party for the artists also."

The inner court was mentioned in TV spots as the place to see the new artists, and it was crowded with shoppers. Artists can request booth spaces, and a total of 69 booth changes were made from the previous year. Some artists request the inner court because the booths are level and often roomier. If you are fortunate enough to jury into this wonderful show, I recommend you accept the invitation.

Editor's note: The overall St. James Court Art Show is the nation's largest juried fine art event (judging by the number of exhibitors), but don't let the fine art distinction fool you, as several of the six mini-shows contain a lot of fine craft and, in some instances, low-end craft. The Court and Belgravia are generally regarded as the two mini-shows with the most high-end art.

Auditors in the original Court section averaged $3,832 from surprisingly low average sales of just $32. Seventy-five percent said they would return. Auditors in the South Third Street section averaged a surprisingly high $8,444 on average sales of $84. Eighty percent plan to return. (Our auditor feedback for those two sections was limited and does not represent a statistically accurate picture of the entire mini-events.) Auditors in the 1300 South Third Street section averaged $1,974 on average sales of $158. Auditors in the South Fourth Street section averaged $3,038 on average sales of $47, with two-thirds saying they would return. We received no information on West End Baptist Church section. For information on Belgravia Court, see the following review.


October 3-5, St. James Court Art Show, Belgravia Court section, Louisville. Contact: Connie Light, 511 Belgravia Court, Louisville, KY 40208; phone 502-634-8950. E-mail: connielight@hotmail.com. Web site: www.stjamescourtartshow.com. Application fee: $25. Space fee: $500-$750. Space size: 10x10.

By Mike Albin
Florida Reporter
E-mail: mike@mikealbin.com
Medium: Landscape photography

The weather in 2008 was absolutely perfect for an art show, with lots of sun, temperatures in the low to mid-70s and no rain in the forecast at all. Crowds here are usually overwhelming, but in 2007 it was brutally hot, crowds were down, and sales were way down! Patty and I were a bit apprehensive because we had done so poorly in 2007 and this time the economy was even worse. However, we thought that with the perfect weather, the crowds would be back this time. Well, the crowds were there, but not like they had been in the past, maybe because of the economy.

Our sales were up from the previous year but were still not at the level they had been in the past. Patty and I were saved by one customer who came late on Sunday and bought two pieces. We sold a total of four pieces, with an average sale of $1,500.

I spoke with two sculptors, one selling low-end work in the $40 range. He reported above-average sales. The other sculptor, selling high-end work ($250 and up), reported well-below-average sales. Two painters both reported below-average sales, too, as did a clothing artist and a glass artist. In contrast, a jeweler reported about an average Show. All exhibitors except two said they would be back. (The other two were unsure.) Better results were reported by two artists who sent their FastAudits to Sunshine Artist. A mixed media artist made $16,000 and said, "I couldn't have asked for a better Show" while a potter brought in $4,200 and rated that total a six (out of 10).

Setup lasts all day on Thursday and is pretty easy. Most spots in the Belgravia Court section of the Show require dollying, but you just have to go down a sidewalk, so it's generally not bad. Booths are on grass, and spaces are very tight with very little room for storage. This is by far the most artist-friendly show we do. Residents along Belgravia Court provide breakfast, lunch and bathroom facilities for the artists.

Breakdown here is a mad dash to go nowhere fast. Some choose to dolly several blocks rather than get involved with finding a parking space close by. We've learned our lesson: We go out to dinner and come back around 9 p.m. We can usually park right next to our booth, load up and go.

We'll definitely be back again. We just hope the economy will be better and we'll all go home happier.